This is the one and only taught course I’m doing this semester and the only class is on Friday mornings (first one tomorrow). I’ve been looking through the course information to decide on which tutorial to try and nab and which essay to go for. None of the essay titles particularly leapt out at me except one which sparked off a thought.

The topic is short and to the point – “‘The post-modern social context requires new approaches to ministry.’ Discuss.” So, I’ve decided to have a go at this one and, in particular, look at the emerging church movement. The obvious (to me) flow of the essay would be:

What issues does post-modernism raise?

Is emerging church a response to post-modernism?

If so, what are its characteristics?

Are these characteristics a genuinely ‘new’ approach to ministry?

Is this what is required?

That’s it practically written. It just needs padded out a bit now. But, I do need some good resources on emerging church, why it ‘is’, and what its distinctives are. So, if anyone has any pointers to resources, or can identify a ‘typical’ expression of emerging church that I can use as an example, then that would be much appreciated.